The Night Fire Rained Down (AU/Teen) COMPLETE 01/13/08

[suicide_eagle_rath]

Title:The Night Fire Rained Down
Author:suicide_eagle_rath
Rating: Teen: but there is cussing and some sexual overtones
Pairings:AU
Disclaimer:The characters belong to Melinda Metz, Jason Katims, WB and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement intended.
Summary:Halloween 1963, a stranger terrorizes a group of boys.
Challenge: This selection is based on Avant Garde Fall Fic Challenge

[suicide_eagle_rath]

The Night Fire Rained Down
Part one of three

When we grew up, the world was much more innocent place than it is today. Kids could play chicken on their bikes on Main Street and every kid owned their own 22 and could shoot out the eye of a ground squirrel at an easy 20 paces. Life was good, fishing at the rock quarry, founder’s day races at the town square, football at West Roswell High on a crisp September night and hunting up in Frasier woods. That was until that Halloween in 1963.

I had turned twelve that year, that magical age when I figured I was a man and could do grown up things, no longer a baby interested in such trivial; things as trick or treating. I decided that Halloween I would do more teen appropriate games, like papering old man’s Harris house or pouring shampoo into the fountain. But I did like candy and Parker was still at that age, being a couple years younger that was into trick or treating, thus he was able to cajole me into tagging along very easy.

Roswell was still reeling from all the alien mumbo jumbo as the old timers would say. Everywhere a person looked there was some sort of alien or monster form outer space. The side of the local theater was hawking posters of “The Day of the Triffids” and , the bookstore still displays alien related books like Atherton “Among Us” in their window, and even the local café offers alien fries and space burgers.

That Halloween the ideal costumes were alien monsters, guaranteed to scare the little kids according to all the hype. Roswell kids were no difference in taking on the national pastime of Halloween fun and scare in choosing costumes, thus aliens it was. Jeff Parker decided to cover his body in tin foil, looking more like a frozen mummy than an alien monster. Gary Troy was also part of the gang on the block; he decided he would try for a two headed monster trick; he ended up looking more like the hunchback of Notre Dame. The Whitman boy also joined us, wearing a big plain white sheet with a huge green eyeball painted on it; he was one weird kid, scrawny and always had his nose in some math book. His Christian name was Charles, but after a bad incident at school in first grade where he upchucked his lunch, he was saddled with the name Chuck.

Now I was not going to get all dressed up in a costume per se since being the oldest of the group. I decided on some paint making myself silver, using some aluminum siding paint pa had in the shed. It was perfect; I painted my face, hands, and hair silver. The effect was great; I looked like an alien kid from Mars. There was only one small set back; no one told me the damn paint was not washable in water; took a week of scrubbing with turpentine to get the crap off my hands and face while the hair got the buzz treatment.

Aliens, everywhere you walked in Roswell, people believed in them. Well not really, they believed in the tourist trade that brought people in to see where the space ship crashed.

But some really did believe in the aliens and that earth was being invaded, my pa one. He actually did believe that aliens crashed outside Roswell; said he was out in the area on sheriff business and saw the spaceship. It was all silver and white; the object was partially buried in the farmer’s fallow field. On one of the military transport trucks he spotted some small coffins, odd looking big brown oval shapes. He took quite a ribbing from others in law enforcement; they started to call him crazy and a liar. I never believe my father until that night.

This was the year that the stranger came and the sky rained down fire on that Hallows eve.

I joined Parker, Troy and Whitman on the corner of Howard and Elm, they had already started collecting candy and were munching on some Baby Ruths by the time I arrived.

“You're not really going to eat that, are you?” asked Jeff as he spied a chick-o-stix among the items in Gary’s loot.

“You want it Jeff?” teased Gary.

“Yeah.”

“Okay but you got to do something.”

“What?”

“Ring the BELL.”

I walked up just as they were daring each other to go to the witch’s house. You know what I mean, every town has one. Some spooky old haunted house where there lived an old woman, who is meaner than a junk yard dog. Well the witch of Roswell lived on Maple Street, innocent enough sounding street name for such a dwelling.

All us kids knew she was a witch, dogs would growl when they passed her house, her door flanked by black cats. Kids who ran into her yard to grab a stray ball would come down with mysterious illnesses the next day. It has even been said she has buried salesmen who dared to ring her doorbell in her backyard. Poisoned them she did with arsenic, I heard it from my pa so it had to be true.

“So who is the first to ring the old witch’s doorbell,” I asked half laughing knowing none of them had the balls.

“Gary should,” pointed Chuck shaking beneath the sheet, he forgot to wear a coat and the air had turned a little chilly.

“Screw that CHUCKIE,” Gary spited out “Let see if you’re a man. Got any balls down there?”

“You are nothing but a CHICKEN.” Chuck snapped back “Cluck! Cluck!”

“Why you...” Gary balled up his fist as he took a step forward.

“Hey stop that, grow up you guys.” I snorted out, being the oldest and the son of the sheriff I had a reputation to maintain.

“He called me a chicken.”

“So prove him wrong and go up to the house and ring the doorbell.” I retorted, not to be outflanked by a kid.

“Nah I don’t wanna.”

“Figures you all are a bunch of pansies.” I laughed at them, that was until I heard the next sentence.

“Then you do it Valenti come on show us the big brave sheriff’s son.”

Ever got the feeling you just shot yourself in the foot; where I did right there and then. Now I could either let the younger kids go on and call me chicken or ring the old lady’s doorbell and let her bury me in the backyard. It was a hell of a dilemma. But I was in a corner and there was only one way out, death and burial.

“Okay I will do it Show you babies who had the balls in this town.”

We all walked slowly, without any words being spoken a few blocks to her house. It looked normal, a little run down; the paint was peeling in places from the siding, the walkway was cracked, the big tree out front was dead from lack of care. On the once white wooden porch was a big old black cat watching us.

“They say real witches have black cats,” whispered Jeff “to do their bidding. The cats lure kids to the house where she eats them.”

“Yeah and they say your momma knows the milk man real good” I snorted back.

“Not funny Valenti” Jeff gave me a shove in the arm.

We stood there in front of the walkway me in front the others scampered behind, thinking my body must have offered them some protection. The wind had picked up a little as we all heard moaning coming from the trees.

“She is said to have hung bodies from that tree of little kids,” Chuck whispered.

“Just the wind,” I breathed out trying to calm my nerves, I did not want to appear a scaredy cat in front of the gang. It seemed like a century had passed, when I felt a slight nudge from behind.

“You going?” asked Gary

“Yeah I am going.” I swallowed my salvia and slowly started up the walk, the paint on my face felt heavy as I yearned to sweat, yet the pore blocking the glands making me feel even queasier. Finally I stood on her porch, the black cat moved away hissing and growling at me. I looked back at the gang for what I felt was my last time as I summoned up the courage I needed.

Knowing what was to happen, I said my last prayers and pressed the rusted door bell, expecting to hear a pleasant ding dong that most home have. Instead, I heard a noise like nails on a blackboard announcing someone at the door. Then I heard feet coming, slowly one by one was the pace until I heard them stop just behind that door. The dull metal knob began to turn as the door cracked opened a few inches.

I was face to face with a single half closed yellow eyeball.

I have to admit I screamed and turned running. I jumped off the porch in a single leap and was on the sidewalk in a few short bounds. The boys were already running down the street when they heard my scream. I was in front of them in a few short seconds as we ran the next two blocks without stopping before we collapsed in a small park. Out of breath we laid on the grass wheezing, panting, and whining.

“What happened? What did you see?” they all asked me at once.

Well by the time I finished the story that one single yellowed glassy eye had turned into two evil red eyes that danced with flames. Inside her house I could see her broom and a cauldron with oozing green slime as a cat sat there singing out for me to come in. Her hands had claws, sharp as knives and in one she held a part of an arm, the flesh she was chewing in her stained teeth. The blood dripped down her chin as she smiled at me. Then she opened that foul mouth, a stench of rotting corpses met my nose as she said to come in and have a bite with her.

Yeah I embellished, but crap I had a rep to maintain, after all I was Jim Valenti, a twelve year old hellion going on twenty, a fact was soon to be tested.

[suicide_eagle_rath]

The Night Fire Rained Down
Part two of three

As we laid there on the ground breathing hard thanking God saving our lives from the demonic forces inside that house, we saw the girls from the local high school making their way to a bonfire. Being good red blooded boys in lust, we decided to follow them, watching their hips saw, hoping to catch just a glimpse of their panties. Cheerleaders were always a good way for a boy to get his quota of hard on for the week. There were lots of kids mulling about, the fire was huge as they roasted effigies of the team they planned on defeating the next night.

"Hey you guys," smiled Alison Bean, the wife of our 8th grade English teacher. Now this woman had a rack on her that could make a baby boy blush. She oozed sex from every pore and at 12 I was more than interested. Course I had no real idea what sex was, except for the Playboys I found in the sheriffs office one day while waiting for my pa to get back from a call.

"How is the trick or treating going," she purred capturing my attention as I watched her breasts rise and fall.

"Oh doing fine Mrs Bean," I managed to cough out, suddenly aware of how hard I was becoming and very grateful the pants I choose were way too big, thus hiding the protruding mass.

"So have you heard about what happened at that old mining shack out on county road 319?" She asked as she looked across the field checking out the goings on across the field.

"No what!" We all asked in unison.

"They say that the old hermit is back, the one in all those stories about glowing hands and mysterious lights." She smiled as our eyes became large. "You guys heard about the crash right? Back in '47." Mrs. Bean turned around for a minute to see some commotion behind her.

Now all of us kids had heard those stories, of glowing lights and aliens in the desert. These aliens that were stalking the desert were an advanced group, sent to Roswell in the ship that crashed years before. At least that is the story we heard.

"Wow!" Chuck gasped as he laid down looking up at the stars.

Yeah wow" agree Gary

Wow, was not the word, but then I was not thinking of aliens but her round firm ass in that tight Halloween black and orange striped dress. Teachers should not look that good to an adolescent boy, the hard on I had was now beginning to hurt like hell.

"Well you boys have a good Halloween," Mrs. Bean said as she began to walk away spying some kids ready to cause trouble. "No playing any tricks."

"Well well, what have we got here, the chicken boys."

I heard that vice behind me, Hank Whitmore, good old white trailer trash that vomited into Roswell thanks to the soap factory where his father worked. Hank was older than us and at 16 a veteran of the back seat of the sheriff's car.

"So you chicken shits going to see the old hermit?" He taunted us as he drank from a near empty bottle of beer. "You babies ready to see a real alien?"

"Get bent Hank," I sneered tired of him always harassing us.

"Whoa, Jimmy got some balls, get them for Christmas?" Hank spit some beer in my direction, dousing my face with the liquid.

"Fuck you Whitmore," as I cleaned off my face with a handkerchief.

"Can you?" Hank took a step in my direction, his breath smelled like a brewery. His fists were balled up; I knew a fight was ready to erupt.

"Have you seen the alien Hank?" asked Jeff, detracting the bully from me and beating the crap out of me.

"Yeah I been there, knocked on the old hermit's door myself." Hank puffed out his chest. "He was nothing but an old man. All the alien stuff is crap."

"Hey Whitmore is that a beer I see in your hand?" The loud booming voice belonged to the boy's councilor, Mr. Erron.

Hank dropped the beer and started running. We looked one to the other and also started running in the opposite direction. Why? I have no idea but once one kid runs we all do. Well when we finally stopped running and started laughing at ourselves when we noticed we were on the road to the hermit's cabin.

"Come on lets go," I said as I started in the direction of the hermit's cabin.

"Are you crazy Valenti?" Jeff stuttered. "A-L-I-E-N-S"

"There are no such things as aliens," replied Chuck as he took off his sheet. "Aliens are illogical." He knocked his glasses skewed as pulled the sheet off, then straightening them out to still look like Clark Kent under a sheet.

"No way." Gary shoved his hands in his pockets, "I am not going to where there are aliens."

"Well I am going, you babies stay here," I said as I headed down the street. "I want to see the glowing in the sky." I raised my hands, wiggling my fingers as I snickered my way down the street. Everyone in town new the hermit was nuts, he was just a guy that had gone bonkers during the war.

"I am going also. To prove aliens do not exist." Chuck stated as he picked up his bag of candy, stuffing his sheet inside as he started walking to catch up with me.

The other two kids just stood there, lingering apprehensively wondering if they should follow or run home and lock their doors while they crawled under their beds. Gary and Jeff watched as we walked out of sight before they screamed for us to wait for them as they started running to catch up.

So here we were a band of four adolescent kids, the bravest of the brave, to make the journey to see the aliens. In reality we were scared, even Chuck had a doubt that scattered across his brain ever so often, a brief moment when aliens were real. I knew they were faked but there was that crash my pa told me about. About the reporter from Texas that disappeared and then there was some military pilot who transported the aliens, but no one could get him to talk. I remember his name was like Carver or something.

A few really little kids hurried past us they headed to the next street to fill their bags, the parents lagging behind, already tired from the outing that night. Dressed as mini robots they looked like the children that the crashed spaceship was suppose to be carrying.

It did not take long before we hit that stretch of deserted dirt road, which sloped downward at a gradual incline; the ruts were deep as we hopped from one side of the ruts to another. Along the side of the road were steep gullies where during the day we kids tested out our bikes following the steep sides going up and down, challenging each other. This was also where last year they found a body of a young man killed and dumped. No one was every arrested, people said it was some hippie druggies from the university.

Finally off to the left, off to the left; merely a hundred feet or so off the main road there was the old shack, where strange lights were reported glowing at night. The shack was just that a one room, squat hut barely room to sleep let alone live in. It sat amidst discarded cars tires filled with stagnant water, even an old ratty sofa sitting on the so called porch.

We all stood there staring at the tinderbox, so different from the traditional homes we four had grown up in. We had only know our quaint little neighborhoods, white homes, picket fences, patios with BBQ grills lining the street with immaculate green lawns where our neighbors have been the same for years and years. This type of squalor was hard for any of us to understand.

"I wonder if anyone lives there?" asked Jeff, "I don't see any cars that aren't all rusted and broken down years ago."

"Hey, something moved by the window," Gary announced.

I looked at the window, partially covered with old newspaper; a very faint light did appear to glow out of the film that covered the glass. But then again it could be the moon reflecting back. Not wanting to incite the younger ones too much I decided to play down the possible light. "Gary, that window is covered up and filthy, I think your mind is playing tricks."

"Ya, maybe," Gary said nervously, "I think we outa get out of here."

I looked over the area logically, "If the old hermit does live here, he is probably off sleeping off a drunk. Even if he is awake, we could always outrun him, so no worries."

I am was sure the old man was harmless, most hobos were and I had seen several in jail for being drunk most nights. I coughed nervously, hoping the little ones would be wanting to run back to the lit streets still teeming with trick or treaters and try and find some Chunky candy bars.

"What cha younguns looking at?"

We all froze at the voice behind us; it was gruff with a nasal twang. I swallowed hard, I swear I could pee my pants right there and then. The three next to me were breathing hard. One look at Chuck on the side told me he was going to pass out. I had to get us out, then and there, or else I would be carrying him home over my shoulder.

"Nothing mister, we were just going home." I spoke to the air in front of me. "Sorry to have had bother you."

"Bother me?" He suddenly appeared in front of me, his eyes glowing in the night like a cat.

I jumped back at his sudden appearance. Gary behind me fell onto his butt, and began to well up in tears, fearing he was going to be stew that night. Jeff stood there motionless, not sure if he should run or get down and pray to God to send down a lightening bolt and save him. Chuck was turning whiter, ready to pass out.

"So looking for the aliens are we?"

The word aliens must had woken up Chuck before he suddenly stood upright and spoke out in a clear voice, a matter of fact statement. "There is no such thing as aliens."

"Is that what you think huh?" The old man raised one eyebrow as he looked up and down Chuck as if he could eat him for dinner.

"Yes it is illogical. Aliens could not live on earth."

I looked over at Chuck who had to be siphoning courage off of something illegal because that kid never showed an ounce of spinal fluid before now. Of course I chimed in with my 'yeah he is right', but something told me I was wrong, terribly wrong. Now I am a master of sci-fi silver screen, a self educated expert on all the aliens that had come to earth to ingest, kill, or colonize mankind. They were only illusions on film, latex creations of some nutty artist high on LSD. But right now I was ready to believe anything just to get away from that old man and what I feared, the truth.

"Come I will show you they are real," the old man laughed as he started up to the shack. "That is if you dare."

"Are we going in there?" asked Gary his hand trembling as he pointed a finger towards the shack.

"Yeah, it looks that way," I answered, mustering what courage I had left as I started walking to the shack following Chuck who was already at the door waiting for us.

Gary stared at the ground before he took a couple steps as Jeff caught his arm, "Gary ya all can go but I ain't."

"Awww come on Jeff can't leave you here by yourself," Gary insisted, "You have to come with us. Don't worry we will be safe. The old guy is just trying to scare us with some story or funny rock or something."

"Well if you're sure, but I don't wanna." Jeff kicked the ground as he walked with Gary up to the door. We all stood there, the door slightly ajar, hoping in some weird way we could disappear, repairing in our beds and this would be just a bad ass dream.

"Lets go in, he ain't gonna kill us or anything." I said as I opened the door wide and we got our first glimpse inside.

"We are dead," Jeff quipped from behind as he looked around, "we are so dead."

I nudged my head at Chuck as we both took the first steps inside, with Gary and Jeff on our heels. Once inside the door slammed behind us.

"Shit, I shouted at the sound, fuck we are dead.

[suicide_eagle_rath]

Thanks flamehair and paper for th efeedback .... this ends the littel Halloween story.. thanks for reading

The Night Fire Rained Down
Part three of three

I was shaking like a leaf as we entered that old house. It smelled of must and urine, cobwebs hung from the ceiling. He is just an insane old man I told myself over and over. Nothing to fear, shit my dad handled worse criminals on a good drunken Friday night at Parker's Bar. Surely being the son of the sheriff I could handle this one minor creep.

I could now see the guy a little better, I wish the light was dimmer. He looked old, dirty, and smelled. His hair was really thin, showing off his pronounced bald forehead, with wisps of hair lying across it in thin lines. His face was unshaven; his eyes had a yellow tint to them. He had to be jaundiced I thought looking at him. His overalls looked like he swam through a pig's sty. I patted the knife in my pocket for security.

But it was Halloween night, all Hallow's Eve when the dead are released from heir graves. Okay may be I did listen at school when they explained how Halloween came about. Right now I give anything to be sitting in the most boring math class available. This place and that guy were just plain creepy and scary. Yet I could not show any fear to the guys, after all I was the oldest and had to show I was also the bravest.

Chuck was already looking around the dump; a piece of metal on the side table caught his eye. He picked it up and was examining it closely. The metal was pale lavender in color with strange hieroglyphics on it, the kind we studied in history class about Egypt. Chuck held it up to the light, well what light he could get through those dirty greasy windows.

"You like boy?" The old man grinned revealing several missing teeth, what thee was left was a brown rotted mess. "That there come from a real space ship. The one that crashed herein '47."

"That was a weather balloon," Chuck replied din his droll scientific voice.

"No it was a space craft, I saw it." The old man looked at me as he said the next sentence. "Ask you father Jim-Bob. He was there."

The guys all looked at me, they had heard the rumors my dad was space crazy looking for aliens in every nook and cranny as well as looking for strange sightings in the sky. I was not sure what to say, my dad insisted he saw something, but there was no way was going to admit it here and now. Summoning up my strength I posed my answer carefully. "Nah your crazy old man. My pa saw nothing alien; he said it was an old weather balloon."

I looked at the kids around me; Chuck was still examining the mini metal I-beam. He was trying to bend it, it seem very strong for being so thin and light weight. It was odd, the pale color seemed to glow a bit, and I swear it gave off a light

Gary was holding his nose and just staring at the place, how dirty it was. Gary was starting to look a little queasy as he swooned a little back and forth on his feet. The old man began scratching his crotch, though a hole in the jean material with his long black encrusted nails. Gary was fixated on the horror scene in front of him, but kept his eyes open. I was sure he wanted to run despite natural curiosity of finding an alien.

I found myself also holding my nose after curling it up failed to keep the smell out. The smell seemed to multiply exponent until it reached putrefaction levels. I was sure I would upchuck any moment as I fought back the feeling. Yet as I stood there looking around, there was something about the place that seemed odd, off kilter. The place seemed deceptive, like movie set of some creepy midnight show. I swear in one corner the man had 50 years of newspapers stacked up.

I then turned my attention to Jeff who was the most sheltered of all of us. Despite the fact that his parents ran the busiest bar in Roswell, they were very strict with their children, especially Jeff being the youngest. His parents never allowed him out after dark, to play down in the creek, or to be friends with any kid who had as his mother put it a 'sailor's mouth that drunk too much rum'. Basically Jeff was trapped in 4 hours quadrant, 4 houses in any direction was his boundaries. I heard my mom one day say just watch Jeff Parker is going to grow up wild, just marked her words. He would be one of those kids with long hair and guitars. I snickered a bit as I thought back on what ma said.

"So got anything else?" Chuck asked the old man, breaking my train of thought.

"Yeah got this?" He held up piece of tin foil.

"Whoa stop the presses lookie he has a piece of tin foil." I laughed at my own words thinking they were so clever.

The old man simply winked at me then crumpled up the tin foil, throwing it down on the table. Then low and behold the damn thing uncrumpled itself and straightened out back to an oval piece of silver.

"I'll be damn." I blew out a hot burst of air.

"Ready to believe now kid?"

I gulped as I thought what had I gotten us into. I glanced at the door behind us that somehow gave me strength knowing we could flee at a moments notice. "Did you really see the '47 crash?" I asked as nonchalantly as possible, trying to conceal my nervous excitement. After seeing that tin foil unfold, the possibility of aliens on earth was becoming a reality.

"Was it a real space ship?" Chuck asked his cheeks flushed from excitement, "from outer space?"

"Yuppers, it sure was. From a planet so far away no one on earth can see it." The old man began to laugh maniacally, all us kids began to get really scared now. "Damn boys, I was there." He laughed some more, then stopped and got serious. "You don't believe in ghosts, do you?"

"No sir." Gary spoke up.

"But you boys believe in aliens."

"The foil, it unfolded," Jeff stammered.

"So you believe in what you can see huh?"

"Yes sir," I gulped. "What were you doing out there on the ranch where the ship crashed?"

"Working boy."

I was not sure if he was a maintenance guy on the space ship, thus being an alien himself. The old man must have sensed my unrest.

"I was a farm hand on the ranch when it rained down fire."

"Oh," I let out a nervous sigh. "I see." Under normal circumstances, I would have had busted a gut at my silliness, but this unsettling place suppressed my humor bone.

"So see me and your dad had something in common boy." He leered at me, "We both saw them aliens in oval brown shape boxes."

"I told you my dad only saw a weather balloon." I was getting a little peeved.

"Sure about that boy?

"Ya, I am." I was getting the oldest feeling the old man was fishing for some piece of information. I was bound and determine now not to let him get any information out of me. "He made up the story of aliens to get attention. Like a big fish story."

"Is that so," the old man stared directly at my forehead; I swore he was boring a hole through me.

"It is true mister," Chuck spoke up, "his dad is full of hot air. Everyone in Roswell knows that."

"So any of you ever seen anything unusual in Roswell?"

"Like what?" Jeff asked

"Like kids who do not fit in, different. Say they are too smart for their age or too strong."

The old man just keep staring at me then suddenly he started yelling at us. "Out, out out."

"What?" I unexpectedly asked

"Well then since none of you saw any aliens get the hell out of my sight," the old man snarled.'

"What?" I asked again

"You heard me you little fucked up humans get out of here."

We all started backing up till I felt the door behind me. I groped for the knob, as we all moved in unison forward to open the door.

The next 15 minutes was a blur, I have not idea how we every made it to our neighborhood in one piece. We were breathing hard; my hands were on my knees as I looked at the asphalt under my feet.

"Hey Jim I lied," Chuck stated.

"What?" I panted, beginning to think that was the only word I could speak all night.

"I lied that everyone thought you pa was a liar. I just had a feeling that guy wanted something from us." Chuck looked up from his position in the grass.

"Yeah I got it also. Something was not kosher there."

"That old man was weird, he was odd, something wrong in the way he looked and talked." Gary added.

"Let's go home where we will be safe," whined Jeff as he started limping his way home.

"I will walk him". Gary ran to catch up with Jeff. "See ya in school tomorrow."

"Chuck did that foil really unfold." I sank to my knees, my head still bent down.

"It had to be a trick Jim, like I said there are no aliens. Listen see you in math tomorrow, I need to crash bad."

"OK Chuck." I stood slowly up and headed up my steps to the porch. I bent down and blew out the candles in the smiling jack-o-lanterns.

Epilgoue


"So Nicholas was it them?" the voice came from behind the old man.

"No it was not them." The old man slowly changed in to the form of a pre-teen. "The hunt is still on."

The voice came into flesh as it rounded the corner. "You need to find them Nicholas. Ki'var will not wait forever."

"I know Vanessa; I know what Ki'var expects of me." Nicholas shot back in anger as he blasted a hole in a wall. "You do not need to speak to remind me. I read his mind they were not the royal set. And his father really saw nothing but the crash site, no aliens, no fetuses. This was a wild goose chase you sent us on."

"It was logical Nicholas. They should be here somewhere." Vanessa wrung her hands, "So where are they Nicholas?"

"Let's go get out of this desert, back to Copper Summit." Nicholas looked down and saw some of his skin peeling on the back of his hand. "Damn look at my skin, I am losing the ability to shift, I will have to wear a damn husk after all, looks like the shots are not working."

"Poor Nicky, damned to live his life as a sexless teen." Vanessa laughed as she danced around Nicholas taunting him.

"Shut up Vanessa before I send you back to Antar to face Ki'var for your failures."

"No, you cannot you know what he will do to me." Vanessa grabbed Nicholas by the collar, "Please, I will help you harder."

Nicholas shoved her off, "Damn royals, I will find them myself, marked my word." Nicholas began to walk away. "We will have to try other areas. It is obvious they are not in Roswell."

"So where do you want me to look," Vanessa ask as she scrambled to keep up with Nicholas

"Fuck how do I know," Nicholas snapped, "try the sewers of New York."


FINIS

[suicide_eagle_rath]

Thanks flamehair and paper for th efeedback .... this ends the little Halloween story.. thanks for reading

The Night Fire Rained Down
Part three of three

I was shaking like a leaf as we entered that old house. It smelled of must and urine, cobwebs hung from the ceiling. He is just an insane old man I told myself over and over. Nothing to fear, shit my dad handled worse criminals on a good drunken Friday night at Parker's Bar. Surely being the son of the sheriff I could handle this one minor creep.

I could now see the guy a little better, I wish the light was dimmer. He looked old, dirty, and smelled. His hair was really thin, showing off his pronounced bald forehead, with wisps of hair lying across it in thin lines. His face was unshaven; his eyes had a yellow tint to them. He had to be jaundiced I thought looking at him. His overalls looked like he swam through a pig's sty. I patted the knife in my pocket for security.

But it was Halloween night, all Hallow's Eve when the dead are released from heir graves. Okay may be I did listen at school when they explained how Halloween came about. Right now I give anything to be sitting in the most boring math class available. This place and that guy were just plain creepy and scary. Yet I could not show any fear to the guys, after all I was the oldest and had to show I was also the bravest.

Chuck was already looking around the dump; a piece of metal on the side table caught his eye. He picked it up and was examining it closely. The metal was pale lavender in color with strange hieroglyphics on it, the kind we studied in history class about Egypt. Chuck held it up to the light, well what light he could get through those dirty greasy windows.

"You like boy?" The old man grinned revealing several missing teeth, what thee was left was a brown rotted mess. "That there come from a real space ship. The one that crashed herein '47."

"That was a weather balloon," Chuck replied din his droll scientific voice.

"No it was a space craft, I saw it." The old man looked at me as he said the next sentence. "Ask you father Jim-Bob. He was there."

The guys all looked at me, they had heard the rumors my dad was space crazy looking for aliens in every nook and cranny as well as looking for strange sightings in the sky. I was not sure what to say, my dad insisted he saw something, but there was no way was going to admit it here and now. Summoning up my strength I posed my answer carefully. "Nah your crazy old man. My pa saw nothing alien; he said it was an old weather balloon."

I looked at the kids around me; Chuck was still examining the mini metal I-beam. He was trying to bend it, it seem very strong for being so thin and light weight. It was odd, the pale color seemed to glow a bit, and I swear it gave off a light

Gary was holding his nose and just staring at the place, how dirty it was. Gary was starting to look a little queasy as he swooned a little back and forth on his feet. The old man began scratching his crotch, though a hole in the jean material with his long black encrusted nails. Gary was fixated on the horror scene in front of him, but kept his eyes open. I was sure he wanted to run despite natural curiosity of finding an alien.

I found myself also holding my nose after curling it up failed to keep the smell out. The smell seemed to multiply exponent until it reached putrefaction levels. I was sure I would upchuck any moment as I fought back the feeling. Yet as I stood there looking around, there was something about the place that seemed odd, off kilter. The place seemed deceptive, like movie set of some creepy midnight show. I swear in one corner the man had 50 years of newspapers stacked up.

I then turned my attention to Jeff who was the most sheltered of all of us. Despite the fact that his parents ran the busiest bar in Roswell, they were very strict with their children, especially Jeff being the youngest. His parents never allowed him out after dark, to play down in the creek, or to be friends with any kid who had as his mother put it a 'sailor's mouth that drunk too much rum'. Basically Jeff was trapped in 4 hours quadrant, 4 houses in any direction was his boundaries. I heard my mom one day say just watch Jeff Parker is going to grow up wild, just marked her words. He would be one of those kids with long hair and guitars. I snickered a bit as I thought back on what ma said.

"So got anything else?" Chuck asked the old man, breaking my train of thought.

"Yeah got this?" He held up piece of tin foil.

"Whoa stop the presses lookie he has a piece of tin foil." I laughed at my own words thinking they were so clever.

The old man simply winked at me then crumpled up the tin foil, throwing it down on the table. Then low and behold the damn thing uncrumpled itself and straightened out back to an oval piece of silver.

"I'll be damn." I blew out a hot burst of air.

"Ready to believe now kid?"

I gulped as I thought what had I gotten us into. I glanced at the door behind us that somehow gave me strength knowing we could flee at a moments notice. "Did you really see the '47 crash?" I asked as nonchalantly as possible, trying to conceal my nervous excitement. After seeing that tin foil unfold, the possibility of aliens on earth was becoming a reality.

"Was it a real space ship?" Chuck asked his cheeks flushed from excitement, "from outer space?"

"Yuppers, it sure was. From a planet so far away no one on earth can see it." The old man began to laugh maniacally, all us kids began to get really scared now. "Damn boys, I was there." He laughed some more, then stopped and got serious. "You don't believe in ghosts, do you?"

"No sir." Gary spoke up.

"But you boys believe in aliens."

"The foil, it unfolded," Jeff stammered.

"So you believe in what you can see huh?"

"Yes sir," I gulped. "What were you doing out there on the ranch where the ship crashed?"

"Working boy."

I was not sure if he was a maintenance guy on the space ship, thus being an alien himself. The old man must have sensed my unrest.

"I was a farm hand on the ranch when it rained down fire."

"Oh," I let out a nervous sigh. "I see." Under normal circumstances, I would have had busted a gut at my silliness, but this unsettling place suppressed my humor bone.

"So see me and your dad had something in common boy." He leered at me, "We both saw them aliens in oval brown shape boxes."

"I told you my dad only saw a weather balloon." I was getting a little peeved.

"Sure about that boy?

"Ya, I am." I was getting the oldest feeling the old man was fishing for some piece of information. I was bound and determine now not to let him get any information out of me. "He made up the story of aliens to get attention. Like a big fish story."

"Is that so," the old man stared directly at my forehead; I swore he was boring a hole through me.

"It is true mister," Chuck spoke up, "his dad is full of hot air. Everyone in Roswell knows that."

"So any of you ever seen anything unusual in Roswell?"

"Like what?" Jeff asked

"Like kids who do not fit in, different. Say they are too smart for their age or too strong."

The old man just keep staring at me then suddenly he started yelling at us. "Out, out out."

"What?" I unexpectedly asked

"Well then since none of you saw any aliens get the hell out of my sight," the old man snarled.'

"What?" I asked again

"You heard me you little fucked up humans get out of here."

We all started backing up till I felt the door behind me. I groped for the knob, as we all moved in unison forward to open the door.

The next 15 minutes was a blur, I have not idea how we every made it to our neighborhood in one piece. We were breathing hard; my hands were on my knees as I looked at the asphalt under my feet.

"Hey Jim I lied," Chuck stated.

"What?" I panted, beginning to think that was the only word I could speak all night.

"I lied that everyone thought you pa was a liar. I just had a feeling that guy wanted something from us." Chuck looked up from his position in the grass.

"Yeah I got it also. Something was not kosher there."

"That old man was weird, he was odd, something wrong in the way he looked and talked." Gary added.

"Let's go home where we will be safe," whined Jeff as he started limping his way home.

"I will walk him". Gary ran to catch up with Jeff. "See ya in school tomorrow."

"Chuck did that foil really unfold." I sank to my knees, my head still bent down.

"It had to be a trick Jim, like I said there are no aliens. Listen see you in math tomorrow, I need to crash bad."

"OK Chuck." I stood slowly up and headed up my steps to the porch. I bent down and blew out the candles in the smiling jack-o-lanterns.

Epilgoue


"So Nicholas was it them?" the voice came from behind the old man.

"No it was not them." The old man slowly changed in to the form of a pre-teen. "The hunt is still on."

The voice came into flesh as it rounded the corner. "You need to find them Nicholas. Ki'var will not wait forever."

"I know Vanessa; I know what Ki'var expects of me." Nicholas shot back in anger as he blasted a hole in a wall. "You do not need to speak to remind me. I read his mind they were not the royal set. And his father really saw nothing but the crash site, no aliens, no fetuses. This was a wild goose chase you sent us on."

"It was logical Nicholas. They should be here somewhere." Vanessa wrung her hands, "So where are they Nicholas?"

"Let's go get out of this desert, back to Copper Summit." Nicholas looked down and saw some of his skin peeling on the back of his hand. "Damn look at my skin, I am losing the ability to shift, I will have to wear a damn husk after all, looks like the shots are not working."

"Poor Nicky, damned to live his life as a sexless teen." Vanessa laughed as she danced around Nicholas taunting him.

"Shut up Vanessa before I send you back to Antar to face Ki'var for your failures."

"No, you cannot you know what he will do to me." Vanessa grabbed Nicholas by the collar, "Please, I will help you harder."

Nicholas shoved her off, "Damn royals, I will find them myself, marked my word." Nicholas began to walk away. "We will have to try other areas. It is obvious they are not in Roswell."

"So where do you want me to look," Vanessa ask as she scrambled to keep up with Nicholas

"Fuck how do I know," Nicholas snapped, "try the sewers of New York."


FINIS